~ Chapter One ~
The Angel of Death has been abroad throughout the land; you may almost hear the beating of his wings
- John Bright.
Monday, 28th December 2009
Bonnie opened her and sat up so fast. She takes deep breathe in and out, like a woman finally swimming to the top of the deep ocean. Bonnie raised her dark shaking hands, her mind flashing back to her bloody hands in her nightmare. This dream was the worst nightmare she had been having these past two weeks. Bonnie was usually the third party in all the other dreams, unable to move and stop herself from killing people. This time, she felt in complete control of herself yet empty inside. Bonnie felt the same thrill while killing her friends and her family. Faces were now blurring in her mind when she tried to think of the people in her nightmare, but she was pretty sure she had killed her cousin. The thought of that happened caused Bonnie to panic furthermore. Bringing her knees to her chest, she wrapped her arms around her knees. Shutting her eyes, she laid her head between her legs to calm her heavy breathing. Questions were running wild through her mind.
What the hell was going on?
Why was she having these dreams?
Couldn't they give her time to grieve her Gram's death?!
Bonnie's breathing becomes erratic from the thought of her Gram's death, two weeks ago. Shutting her eyes tighter, she gritted her teeth harder, and her hands closed into fists.
"It's their fault!" she hears her inner voice echo in her mind.
"No" she whispered back aloud.
"Oh you have got to be sound more convincing" the inner voice taunted her.
"It's not their fault" she weakly stated with lacking conviction.
"Grams died protecting you! You, who were protecting your so call, best friend that ran after her boyfriend! All because of Damon Salvatore's obsession with Katherine! Who wasn't in the tomb! Grams died for what?! The Salvatore brothers continue to live their lives! Elena has not even seen how you are dealing with your loss! Vampires are even out of the tomb! How can you say, it's not their fault?!"
Each statement yelled in her mind built up her infuriation, for the dimming fire of rage was now roaring as she thinks of her Gram's frail body.
"Shut up!"
She winced from a sudden shooting pain in her jaw causing her to raise her head. The pain faded instantly, and her eyes widened at the sight of her reflection in the mirror. Bonnie immediately got out of her bed and stumbled a little towards the mirror. Gripping onto her desk, she stared at the reflection of her now bright red eyes. A sudden rapid knocking on her bedroom door captures her attention.
"Bonnie! Is everything alright?!" she hears her father's panicked voice.
Bonnie turned her head away from the knocking to the mirror only to blink in surprise seeing her green eyes staring back at her.
"Bonnie!"
She quickly cleared her throat and yelled back, "I'm alright, Dad! My alarm just scared the shit out of me!"
Still unconvinced he said, "Alright... well breakfast is almost ready for you downstairs."
"Thanks!" she replied back.
She hears his retreating footsteps away from her door and looks back to the mirror.
Placing her hand against the side of her face, "What the hell is going on?" she whispered.
Finishing her last piece of chocolate chip pancakes she handed her now cleared plate over the kitchen counter to her father. Zachariah Bennett, a man of medium height and light brown complexion grabs the plate from his daughter.
"I will be finishing off work a bit early, and I thought we could have some father-daughter time with movies and take-out food before I leave for that business trip tomorrow" he explained while putting the dish in the dishwasher
Bonnie nodded happily to the idea, "Yeah I'm up for that."
Closing the dishwasher door, the thirty-seven-year-old man looked to Bonnie unsure of how to approach the next subject matter.
After burying his mother, his older brother, Gabriel told Zachariah for Bonnie and him to come back and stay in Light Haven for awhile. They did, but not too long. Instead, they only spent a week and Christmas day with his family in Light Haven, Georgia. It was what they needed.
Now back in Mystic Falls, he worried more about his daughter. Concerned about her well-being but he also worried that this loss would not let Bonnie rethink how far she would go with using her magic to help Elena and the Salvatore brothers.
Yes, he knew Elena cared about his daughter, but he was aware that those Salvatore brothers couldn't care less about her, and he knew without a doubt that if it came down to saving Elena or Bonnie; his daughter wouldn't even be considered an option to be saved.
The idea of leaving was why he felt clarity in his decision after discussing with Gabriel about moving back to Light Haven when he got back from his business trip. Never did he think he would ever be going back to his second home. Born and raised in Mystic Falls, his family moved to Light Haven when he was fifteen years old. The Bennett family lived there and built a life there for two years that is until his parents wanted to move back to Mystic Falls for his final year in high school. At that time, Zachariah and Gabriel didn't know that their father, Henry Bennett wanted to spend his last few years in Mystic Falls.
His older brother, Gabriel stayed back. He had already built his life in Light Haven and was content with having Rosario by his side. Zachariah was proud of Gabriel especially to have the strength and will to continue the Bennett Legacy in Light Haven. A legacy he had kept a secret from Bonnie and now wanted to introduce it to her.
The assassination coven.
A group of assassin witches started years ago by a Bennett and continued to this day now under the leadership of Gabriel. Zachariah wanted Bonnie to be a part of this coven, to grow strong in her powers and to not only rely on her magic to defend herself. He knew his mother would be happy with his decision. They both protected Bonnie for too long especially hiding the fact of just how powerful his daughter could become.
"Dad" his green eyes quickly look to Bonnie taken by surprise. Her voice snapped him out his thoughts. Shaking his head, he apologized causing Bonnie to smile a little to his mind wandering habit.
"Where did your mind wander to?" she asked.
"My mom."
Bonnie averted her eyes down to the black-marbled surface of the counter top, uncomfortable of the topic. They hadn't spoken about her Grams since they buried her. She wasn't sure if it was because she didn't know what to say or if she just didn't know how to deal with her numb feelings to this.
"You want to talk about her?" she hears her father asks. Without looking up, she shakes her head.
"Well I want to talk," he said causing Bonnie to look up at him in surprise.
"I miss her," he said stepping to closer to the counter. He catches sight of a tear falling from her eye causing the man's tone to soften "Bonnie-"
"I miss her too," she says quickly wiping away her tears. Taking a deep breath in and out before continuing shakily "That's just it…I miss her. I miss her presence. I miss knowing that when I have a problem both personal and magical I could just run to her. I miss her proud smile when I mastered spells, and I know you didn't approve of me delving into all of that dad, but she was just so-" she paused sniffing.
Zachariah walked around the counter and gently pulled her into a hug, and she continued to cry. He ran his hand through her hair in comfort. The older man knew now Bonnie needed him to be there for her, just like his mother was for most of her life. He was going to train his daughter when they moved to Light Haven, and he was going to spend more time with her and be a better father to her. Zachariah should've known that sooner. Damn, his mother always saw things clearer than he did.
Bonnie walked between the tombstones towards her destination. Gripping on tighter to the clear cellophane that wrapped around the bouquet flowers, she stops at her Gram's memorial. Kneeling to the ground, she laid the nicely arranged flowers by the gravestone.
"Hey Grams," she murmured softly.
Almost in response to her hello, she feels the wind picking up. She closed her eyes and felt the soft spring breeze blow through her wavy curls almost as if her Grams were brushing her hair behind her ears.
Slowly opening her eyes, she looked down to the carved name Sheila Bennett and got comfortable by sitting cross-legged on the ground.
"I'm sorry I haven't seen you since we buried you. Dad and I are just trying to deal with not having you around, and I think dad misses the arguments with you" she chuckled remembering the constant banters between son and mother. Sheila and her two sons,
Just like their mother, Gabriel and Zachariah were the most stubborn people in the world; that she often wondered how her grandfather dealt living with all of them. Well, she didn't have to wonder since her father and grandmother often mentioned that despite having their stubbornness she had so much patience that reminded them of her grandfather.
Shaking her head out of her wandering thoughts she got the conversation back on track, "I guess you know that the vampires are out of the tomb. From what Elena has told me on the voicemail is that they are not a threat."
Bonnie frowned after the words left her mouth, in remembrance of the voicemail left by Elena. The same Elena who hadn't visited her since the funeral. Caroline, on the other hand, was the one that checked up on her since her Gram's death. Taking her out after school to keep her distracted or some days she would talk about Grams. Sometimes text her at night to check up on her. Funny how the friend that cared the most was totally clueless about vampires and witches. She still saw Elena at school, but she would say her quick hellos before scurrying off to Stefan.
Bonnie sighed tiredly. Maybe she expected too much of Elena, or maybe she made a rash assumption of what a best friend should be.
Pushing past her Elena's dilemmas, she continued speaking out loud "I'm still practicing my magic, but it's not the same. Having you around gave me the confidence to try new spells. Now I just feel the uncertainty, whether I'm doing the spell, right or not. I don't want to ask dad, let alone drag him into the troubles of Mystic Falls especially after what happened with-" she paused unable to finish the sentence.
Feeling the constricting feeling in her chest again; she closed her eyes taking deep breathe in and out to calm her emotions. Once in control she opened her eyes and laid a hand on the tombstone almost as if it would bring her closer to her grandmother.
She spoke more of her worries "Lately I've had these nightmares Grams. Violent dreams. I'm starting to wonder if they are visions. First, it was me watching a back of a woman kill innocent people. Then it was me watching myself kill my friends. I killed Michael and so many other people that I can't remember. They continued every night. Same methods, but in different places until last night. Last night I couldn't stop it, Grams, I couldn't wake myself up…it was I who- Ah!" she screamed almost falling back from the sudden crow landing on top of the tombstone.
The black crow stared at Bonnie, making her think of leaving this fearless creature and not get attacked by it, but Bonnie stared back determined to finish her conversation with her grandmother.
"You're not going to scare me away bird," Bonnie said determined, and she swore the bird understood her. It bowed its head and moved its self from the center of the gravestone to the edge of her grandmother's tombstone allowing her to continue her moment with her Grams.
Bonnie looked at the bird in fascination then back to the engravings ignoring the crow's now burning stare, "These nightmares pile onto my uncertainty when I practice magic because I'm afraid of becoming that person in my dream. I know you will tell me that it's just a nightmare or a warning to be careful with my magic but truthfully I think there's something evil in me, and it's fighting to get out" she shuddered a little at the sight of her bright red eyes this morning.
"And the voice that was once in my nightmares now get louder in reality and-" she looked away ashamed "-at times I swear the voice is sounding more and more like me."
The crow cawed at her almost in objection of her words causing Bonnie to chuckle bitterly and look to the crow "You think I'm a good person birdie?"
The crow cawed. Yes
Bonnie smiled sadly at it "Never judge a book by its cover. Know their story before you make an assumption, birdie."
The crow caws twice almost in objection of Bonnie not seeing herself as good.
"I better get going birdie. Live a good life" she said to the crow then looked back to the headstone "Please help me find the meaning of these nightmares. I love you" she said fondly as her finger graze the engravings of Sheila Bennett "And I miss you."
In the crisp late afternoon of an extremely long day, Bonnie parks her blue Primus into the driveway behind her father's car.
"Oh, dad's home early," she thinks out loud and can't help but smile a little that it meant their father-daughter night was going to start earlier. She knew work got busy for him especially with the business trips. At times she wished he would say no to those business trips and just do all of his work in Mystic Falls and be a father to her, but growing up he would kiss her on the forehead and tell her, these trips were necessary. She never understood why it was more important than being here with her, but she learned to accept that it was what it was and learned to take advantage of every second to spend time with him before he went back to his important business trips.
"Hope it's pizza night," she thinks when she hears her stomach grumbles. Bonnie chuckled exhausted placing her forehead against the steering wheel still drained from her outing with Caroline. She loved hanging out with Caroline but by god she swore it was Caroline herself that created the definition of "shop till you drop."
Grabbing her bag, she gets out and locks the car. Tossing the keys into her cross-body messenger bag, she silently commends herself for not buying anything today. Okay, it was two books, but it was a bargain! Adjusting the bag strap on her shoulder, she walked happily up the stairs to her front door. She stops at the sight of the slightly opened front door. Her senses went on high alert when her powers sensed a powerful being inside her house.
A very powerful supernatural being.
A shiver swept down her spine, as she cautiously stepped into her house only to freeze at the sight in front of her.
In the middle of their foyer laid her father. Dead. His head twisted to the side, his mouth opened, his green eyes opened. Fear was prominently staring at Bonnie.
Her bag fell to the floor; her eyes looked at her dead father to the culprit standing over his dead body. He was a tall, fair-skinned man looking to be in his late twenties. A long shaped face with cropped brown hair, his dark hazel eyes stared curiously at Bonnie.
"Lucas?" she said shocked recognizing her father's co-worker and close family friend.
"He was once Lucas," the man said.
Bonnie frowned confused because Lucas was standing there yet he wasn't Lucas? He smirked at Bonnie with a look of anticipation of her next move. Seeing that cunning smile, Bonnie knew it indeed wasn't Lucas. The Lucas she got to know now and then, was a kind man. This person here was an impostor. Without a second thought, she flicked her wrist causing the man to go flying through their foyer into their kitchen crashing through the glass door leading to the backyard. Wasting no time, she feels her "evil" self-feeding off her rage and this time Bonnie didn't want to fight it anymore.
She wanted to kill.
Stepping over her father's body, she rushed down the foyer towards the kitchen but gets thrown into her living room. Her back hits the back of the couch.
"Ugh!" Bonnie lets out painfully and angrily. The rage fiercer than ever caused her green eyes to change to bright red and yet again she felt the sudden pain in her mouth again only, this time, it's ten times more painful than before. The adrenaline mixed with her rage forced her to focus on the witch that dared to use magic against her.
Her eyes narrowed at the dark-skinned girl looking to be around her twenties with tight black curls bouncing slightly with each step she took down the stairs. Standing at the bottom of the stairs, the girl had a proud smirk on her face. Suddenly the man was standing beside the said girl without a scratch on him.
Blinded by her rage, Bonnie stood up so quickly that it surprised the two visitors especially when she barred her newly fangs at them. On instinct, with speed to match a vampire she rushed to attack them only for the black girl to instinctively use her magic to create an invisible wall on all entrance of the living room trapping Bonnie within.
"Thank you Greta, darling," the man said causing Greta to smile pleased at his response.
The man walk towards Bonnie to now stand in front of her and introduces himself immediately "The name is Klaus Mikaelson" he said then smiled at the beautiful sight in front of him.
Bonnie growled lowly burning his name into her mind. Her breathing was becoming heavier and heavier. Klaus studied the seething Bonnie Bennett; she had the fangs, the speed. Traits of a vampire except for those red eyes. He had long awaited for the Prophecy to come true, but years went on, and he had almost forgotten about it until word came to him that a Zachariah Bennett had been looking into his existence and his connection to a particular curse he wanted to be kept quiet.
Bonnie winced when her mind caught up to the sharp pain in her mouth, but again it's forgotten when she sees the sight of her father's dead body. Her rage and sadness grow to the point of suffocation.
"Why?!" she cried out to Klaus banging her fists against the barrier to kill the unknown man. She repeated her question over and over in time with the repetitive sound of her fists pounding at the invisible wall; until the rushing adrenaline of this power and her newly heightened emotions caused Bonnie to step back. Her breathing begins to shorten, and soon her world becomes dark.
Greta lets the barrier evaporate once she sees the Bennett witch faint. She watched Klaus with a tinge of jealousy as he crouched down to caress Bonnie's cheek in curiosity of what she truly was.
Klaus smiled at the beautiful girl and apologized "I'm truly sorry for your father's death, but he was getting too close to uncovering a secret I've kept hidden for centuries. Who knew killing him would unveil the answer to a Prophecy I had almost forgotten all these years."
Pulling his hand back he continued in a soft-spoken tone "He involved himself in things he shouldn't have involved himself in, but now I know why the man had been so persistent over the years. To protect someone so beautiful. So precious and so powerful."
Bonnie looked down the lit pathway she was standing on in this strange black room. Looking around, Bonne begins to wonder if she was even in a room. It felt like she was standing in an abyss place with gravity holding her down. A repetitive tapping sound echoes, causing Bonnie to direct her attention to the source. Squinting her eyes a little to the blurred image, soon her vision adjusted to her surroundings and her vision clears up a little to see an outline of a figure standing at the end of this pathway. Bonnie feels drawn to this individual, and begins to make her way towards it, but she pauses mid-way of the path. The sight was so clear that Bonnie feared it, but it didn't stop her movement towards the individual standing at the end of the pathway.
A woman dressed all black. Combat pants, tank top and black combat boots to match. The dark-skinned female held what looked to be an enlarged katana repeatedly tapping it against the white illuminating floor. The sound was taunting Bonnie with every step she took. It wasn't the intimidating sound that made Bonnie stand a little further away from the individual. It was the mask that terrified her. A blazing red mask with two bull-like horns, piercing metallic eyes and a wide carved smile from ear to ear that showed off its sharp fangs.
"What's the matter, Bonnie? Scared?" the voice echoed.
Bonnie gasped in recognition of the voice "You!"
The female's laugh echoed as she took off the mask with her free hand and tossed it to the side. Bonnie watched the mask clatter against the ground then looked back to the woman haunting her nightmares. It was like looking into the mirror again. Staring at this replicated version of herself, except this version of her had short hair stopping at her shoulders and was staring at Bonnie with her bright red demonic eyes.
"I guess you can say, you now," her double-self expressed in a mocking tone and smiled to reveal her fangs.
What are you? Where am I? These are the questions Bonnie wanted to ask, but she was still stumped speechless at the sight of her replicated self.
The replicated Bonnie, vampire speeds to stand in front of Bonnie. She lifts her katana to Bonnie's throat, "There are so many questions running through your mind, Bonnie, but why do you stand there speechless?"
Bonnie opened her mouth to speak but is suddenly bombard with images of her father's dead body with Klaus standing over him.
The red-eyed Bonnie pulled back the large katana from Bonnie's throat. The sword shrinks to a normal sized sword the moment the tip of the katana touches the scabbard. The sword is back in its scabbard across her back.
"Now she remembers," she says.
Bonnie fall to her knees and sob hysterically. The red-eyed Bonnie couldn't help but look at the young girl with remorse and crouched down to be eye leveled with the real Bonnie Bennett.
Placing her hand under Bonnie's chin she tilted it up to look at her, "I can't kill you like this."
Bonnie immediately pulled back but was unable to because of the firm grip the red-eyed individual had on her chin.
She tightens her hold and continues her words "We will meet again, Bonnie Bennett, but only when it is time for you to learn about our powers. That is when we will battle. I expect a hell of a fight if you want to gain control of our powers."
Bonnie stared in confusion. Before she questioned her, the red-eyed Bonnie placed her hand against Bonnie's forehead
"Wake up, Bonnie."
Bonnie gasped when she opened her eyes, only to shut them quickly from the sudden harshness of the lights.
"Bonnie!" two female voices exclaimed.
Still with her eyes shut she attempted to sit up on the semi-soft hospital bed she was on. She sensed Elena on her right and Caroline on the other side of her bed as they both helped her sit up a bit. Bonnie attempted to open her eyes again, but she immediately shuts them again.
"Can someone turn the lights off or even turn down its brightness," she said throatily. She winced from Caroline's loud voice ordering Elena to turn the lights off and draw open the curtain a little to have some of the sunlight in this single room still.
Lub-dub-lub-dub-lub-dub-lub-dub is all Bonnie can hear doubling and getting louder and louder mixed with Elena's rushing footsteps. Bonnie placed her hand over her ears to shut out the heightened sounds, but it wasn't doing any good to lower the sounds. Frustration was rising as she brought her knees to her chest. She began to rock back and forth when many new sounds entered her ears until she heard the last voice she wanted to hear.
"Bonnie! Focus! Focus on the sound of my voice. Take a deep breath and focus only on my voice. Lower the other sounds and focus on my voice" she hears Stefan's instruct her. She wanted to be stubborn and not listen to his instructions but if it meant to stop the noises, then so be it.
Stefan made himself comfortable on the edge of the bed and placed his hands on either side of her face to help her focus.
"Open your eyes, Bonnie," he tells her, and Stefan has to stop himself from dropping his hands from the sight of Bonnie's bright red eyes.
"Focus on my voice, Bonnie" he repeated his previous instructions forcing his voice not to waver from the view of Bonnie in front of him. Repeating his words, he can't help but let out a sigh of relief when he sees her red eyes fade back to her green eyes. Her eyes flicker to the crook of Stefan's neck. The blood pulsing under his skin, all she needs to do is just sink her fangs. She gasps at their thought, immediately shaking her head to rid of such a thought. Stefan slowly moved his hands from her face and is about to ask if she's okay, but Bonnie shakes her head stopping him.
"Thank you. Can you and Elena please leave" she said looking away from him.
She stretched her legs causing Stefan to stand up "Bonnie-"
"It was an order, Stefan" she calmly stated.
Stefan nodded curtly and left but stops at the door.
Turning around, "Bonnie I am sorry for what happened," he said.
Bonnie chuckled bitterly, "I'm assuming you are apologizing for my Gram's death because you didn't have any involvement in my dad's death unless you sent that vampire after him."
Stefan looked at her speechless unable to respond to the reminder of Sheila's death or the revelation that it was a vampire that killed Zachariah.
"Just please leave Stefan. I don't have the energy to deal with you or Elena; especially with my resentment towards you both. Just send Caroline in."
Stefan looked down ashamed of his speechless manner and left to get Caroline and ready himself to console a hysterical Elena.
Bonnie closed her eyes and winced from the sounds near and far. Following Stefan's advice, she takes a deep breath in and out and focuses on Stefan's voice then Elena's and lastly Caroline's. Even with the other sounds like footsteps, heart monitors; Bonnie was able to focus her hearing on Stefan, Elena and Caroline. She hears Stefan repeat her orders to Elena and as usual Elena chooses to ignore her request. Bonnie eavesdrop to hear Caroline lecture Elena about how rude it is not to listen to Bonnie's request. Bonnie smiles to Caroline ranting of having no idea why Bonnie is upset with her, but she believes it must be for a good reason. Caroline tells Elena that she should give Bonnie some time and when Bonnie is ready to talk to her then she will.
Bonnie felt her heart break a little when she hears Elena tear up again. She may be angry with Elena, but she was still her best friend, and she hated to hurt her like this, but she too was trying to deal with the pain. Not only was she going to be grieving over her Gram's, but now she has to grieve over her father's death too.
"Bonnie" Caroline whispered while standing by the door but it sounded like she had whispered her name in her ear.
Bonnie opened her eyes and lifted her head to look at her best friend. Her lips quivered finally letting down the wall she had been holding up. All the emotions she had bottled came out through her tears.
"My dad…Caro-line…my dad" she sobbed out bringing a hand to her mouth to quiet her crying. Caroline pulled Bonnie into a hug as her tears of grievance wetting Caroline's t-shirt.
Tears of grief for her grandmother's death and now her father's death.